


Sunsets

by General_Trees



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29148765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/General_Trees/pseuds/General_Trees
Summary: An oblivious aspiring actor and a cocky prop designer meet one another and learn that they're always in the right places at the right times.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

Hux turned heads. He knew it well, and it did him well to be aware. Along with the burning summer heat, paired with the dryness and tension in the air, he found himself spending his free time at the pool. It kept him trim and toned, yet didn’t tire or overheat him in the ways that other types of exercise would. Of course, his time at the pool meant more revealing clothing, and being open to the eyes of people he’d never wish to be seen by, and some that he did wish to be seen by. It was an interesting way of thought, but one that he used to his full ability.

That day was a blistering one-hundred degrees. You could see the heat in the air, in the way that people fanned themselves with what they could find. Hux cursed himself for retreating to the dry heat of American desert, envying his old friends in England for their rain and bearable heat. In the night, he had managed to throw the blankets from his bed and half-remove his shirt, a rare feat that was assisted by the constant sweltering hot that traveled as well through the darkness of night as it did the day. His cheap, self-installed air conditioning unit did very little to help his efforts at keeping cool, and Armitage caught himself switching to iced tea and cold showers to further the futile. Tank tops and shorts replaced the usual sweater and dark jeans, swimming replaced jogging, and fans replaced fire. 

Armitage liked to act. He could adapt to any form; Television, stage, film, voice. However, his versatility didn’t do much good in such a competitive environment. Los Angeles wasn’t a good pick for many reasons, and in retrospect Hux wished he’d moved to a place like New York or even Albuquerque. Rent for his studio cost him just short of two-thousand a month, which he paid for with excruciating day work, and exhausting night work. On weekends and nights, he would scrounge up acting gigs for extra money. A majority of these gigs were less than ideal, and dirty in one way or another. Hux wasn’t doing porn, no, but it came close. Films that would never breach the college show level, mini-docs, and commercials were on the laundry list of short gigs he’d had. During the day, he traveled just down his street to work at Bristol Farms. It paid for his apartment, and he was willing to put up with shitty customers to have two meals a day and a roof over his head.

On that day, Hux was on his usual route. Gym and pool at six, breakfast at eight-thirty, Bristol Farms at nine for work, work until five that evening, and then head home for dinner, a second shower, and then bed. If he didn’t have to work so much, he’d have a cat or two. Armitage had no one to come home to, and an animal companion would certainly help the void. Of course, he couldn’t afford nor properly care for an animal. As he was lost in thought, on his walk from the gym to his favorite cafe, his phone snapped him back to reality with a buzz. It was an e-mail, from the program he uses to find casting calls. It felt a bit like fate, a role that perfectly fit his requirements. Paid, for a man in his late twenties to early thirties, auditions tomorrow at noon. Tomorrow was a Saturday, meaning he didn’t have to work that day. He could spend extra time getting up and to the gym for his exercise, and even spoil himself with a longer breakfast. It was perfect.

Armitage accepted the opportunity as he entered the coffee shop. It was small, and full of books that made the atmosphere rich and the scent richer. It looked a bit like something you would only find in paintings, the unique flavors far better than what could be found at any major chain. The furniture was made by hand, by a small woman that was rumored to be older than this city itself. The books and decor were collected or handmade through years of travel and hard work, antiques hanging from the walls from places from all over the world. Although, some of the work appeared to be otherworldly. This same woman, this collector and visionary, still owned and worked at the shop. If you made eye contact, it was said that she could read your very soul. She could see things about you that not even you knew.

Armitage viewed a new painting, one of wheat fields on the shore of an ocean, forgetting his surroundings for a moment as he looked on. It felt real, deep, as if he could see the wind blowing through the spikes of grain, spreading seeds and life. It was strange to him. Whoever had painted it was extremely talented, and it brought a strange spark to his mind. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a woman, one he knew very well.

“Armitage!” She dragged out the first sound of his name as a greeting, which startled him despite his year and a half-long patronage at the shop. She greeted every customer with spunk, but her regulars with extra joy. Every person who regularly entered the shop, that took the time to befriend the employees, stopped being a customer and became a friend. 

“Ah- good morning, Maz. I see that you’ve been busy collecting more.” Hux spoke as he approached the counter, not taking a glance at the menu. He had a usual, and paid for it as soon as Maz held her hand out. Black iced tea with peach and blueberry flavors. 

“Good eye! That piece was made by a local artist. She’s a fiery one, that Paige Tico.”

“Commend her on her work. This is impressive, I believed it to be a photograph.”

Maz handed over Hux’s drink, with her usual knowing smile. “Did you get a new job?”

“You are perceptive, yes. I audition tomorrow. It’s supposedly going to be shown at a film festival here next summer.”

“You’ll get it, I can feel it. I can see it, too. Now, off with you.” She handed over a croissant. “Can’t have you late.”

Armitage nodded and walked out of the shop, cursing the heat once again. It was only eight forty-five, but he already felt like his shoes would melt to the pavement if he stood still for too long. He set to moving quickly towards his place of work, eating his croissant and drinking his tea.

Right as the store came into view, distracted by his tea and reading over the details of tomorrow’s audition on his phone, Hux was met with his life flashing before his eyes. His foot caught a stool left out on the pavement, and he felt himself to rapidly approach the concrete. He shut his eyes, accepting that having to clean up after the dark tea on his clothing would absolutely make him late. 

That is, before he’s caught by someone.

Hux looked up the arm that had caught him, saving him from being late and making an embarrassment of himself. He was taken aback, people were seldom helpful.

"You should be more careful. I've seen people wipe out hard on concrete."

He was mildly confused, watching his face with a furrow to his brow. "Of course, thank you." Armitage spoke as the other pulled him up the rest of the way, righting himself. 

"See you around, cutie." The words came in his direction, accompanied by a smirk. Hux scoffed, waved, and finished his approach to the store.

That night, he lied awake, staring at his ceiling. He thought of that painting, the trip, and that man. It made the day have a surreal sense, feeling a bit dreamlike. Regardless, he allowed himself to succumb to the exhaustion of the day, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Armitage stood in a field, the wheat field from that painting. He could nearly feel the stalks brushing his legs. He looked around, looking to the sky. The sun was setting, turning the sky orange. It was beautiful, and he took it in. Suddenly, he was turned around. That man was there, the one that had saved him from falling on the sidewalk. 

“Hey, cutie. Glad to see you here.”

Those dark eyes, that curly hair, the scruff on his face. It was far more attractive to see him in a dream, although he was drawn in by it before. The experience became even more attractive when he was pulled into a kiss. Everything melted around them, until it was a void. It was strange, and beautiful in a sense. It was as if the surroundings had followed the sunset itself and left them swallowed in darkness.

Hux melted with it, into it. Something about it felt right, perfect even. It was almost as if it was real.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for enjoying my first chapter! If you have any questions or suggestions for me, please contact me at "biohaze_rd" on Instagram!
> 
> Thank you so much again!

Hux’s alarm woke him at six in the morning. He reached over, thin hand smacking the button with weak determination to silence the shrieking of the clock. After a couple of attempts, he finally succeeded and sat up, running a hand through his hair. He scanned the room, processing his dream from the night before and allowing his eyes to adjust to the morning light. Armitage shuffled out of his bed and walked to the window, opening his curtains before turning. He shook his head. It was simply a dream, after all. It may have simply been the result of his touch starvation, or possibly the eye contact they held. It was prolonged, for certain.

He grabbed the swim shorts and cap he had washed the night before, folding and putting them in his gym bag alongside a filled water bottle and a protein bar. He hefted the bag over his shoulder before grabbing a banana from the kitchen and walking out the door to his studio. His phone pinged the reminder for his audition later, and he acknowledged the reminder before placing the phone in his pocket.

Once Armitage arrived at the gym, he changed into his swimming outfit. He then began to stretch, bending down and ensuring that his calves and arms were primed for the laps he’d take. Once he felt prepared, he walked into the pool area and dove into the deep end, beginning to freestyle to the end of the pool. He then flip-turned at the wall and swam back.

This continued for roughly a half-hour, with five-minute breaks every few minutes to avoid exhaustion. Once his workout had concluded, he cooled down by doing a short jog on a gym-provided treadmill. He then returned to the locker room, rinsed the sweat from his body, and then changed into his standard clothing.

Walking into the cafe, something felt different that morning. Maz was buried in a book covering exotic teas, likely planning another endeavor to widen the shop’s inventory. However, her focus didn’t allow her to be startled by Hux’s presence at the counter. He placed his usual order, but ordered himself an extra breakfast sandwich as a treat. Armitage then took a seat at a corner table, picking out a book from the nearby shelf, and began to read. 

He entered his zone again, only focusing on his reading and the cool drink he occasionally sipped on. Hux was completely ignoring his surroundings. That is, until a voice broke his concentration.

“Hey, this seat taken?”

Armitage looked at the source of the voice, and immediately recognized him.

“Of course. Sit.” He motioned to the seat before him.

The man sat down and looked at him, thinking for a second. “The name’s Poe Dameron. You new in town?”

“In a way, yes. I’ve lived here for three years. My name is Armitage Hux.”

“Hugs, got it. I knew you weren’t from here. You don’t look like a local. I grew up here, moved away for a couple years, then came back when I couldn’t stay away. I’m a prop designer, so this is where business is on top of it being home. I actually have a set to be on today.”

“It’s Hux, and I’ve got an audition later, for a film. I’m looking forward to it. I’m a bit shocked that I was able to get any sleep last night.”

“Holy shit! That’s awesome, I know it’s hard to even get an audition in this place with everyone trying to act.” Just then, Poe’s phone buzzed. “Damn, I gotta go. I have to be on set.”

Hux nodded. He wasn’t put out, knowing that he’d likely see Poe again at the cafe. “Alright, it was lovely to meet you. I’ll hopefully see you again soon.”

“Bye, Hugs! I’ll see you later!” He was already out the door. He gave Hux a wink through the window of the small cafe before hopping on his motorcycle and speeding off. Armitage watched him go, thinking about how strange the man seemed to him. He was incredibly nice to him, and not many people would simply sit down and speak with a stranger. It didn’t help that Poe was handsome, and looked strong. Hux had a strange feeling in his stomach thinking about it, so he quickly buried his eyes and mind in his book.

His focus was once again interrupted, but it was a welcome interruption. His phone was vibrating, with a notification telling him that it was time to get on his bus to the site. He put everything into his bag, signing out the book he had been reading and refilling his beverage before walking out the door. Hux prepped his bus pass, and caught the bus right on time, relaxing once he was on board.

Arriving at the studio was strange. He had never been to a place so formal, nor a place so large, for an audition. Of course, this wasn’t a short or student film. This was a feature film, the big leagues. Every actor has their break, and this may be Hux’s if he does well enough to impress the casting director. Judging by the size of the campus, and the number of people moving around, this is a big production. He didn’t know much about what was being filmed, either, which added a fascinating mystery to it all.

He entered a building towards the front of the lot, seating himself in one of the metal folding chairs near the door. He glanced about the room, taking in his surroundings. There was a white sheet behind him, a divider of sorts. It wasn’t long until his name was called, prompting him to follow the arrows into a deeper part of the large studio building. There was another backdrop that continued to and across the floor, a stool, umbrella lights, and cameras. Hux handed over his cover letter and headshots before taking a seat on the stool, viewing the script he was given. His attention was brought to the people sitting across the room from him. There was a young woman there, the casting director, sitting in the center. To her left was the writer, and her right the proper director. He felt nerves build a bit, but disguised and pushed them away with a sigh.

They questioned him, filming it all. Name, age, skills, things of that nature. They wished to know about him, his strengths and weaknesses. They were determining if he would function well with the other cast members and crew. There was a short din from them once that process had finished, and a collective nod at the end of that chat. Hux was then instructed, carefully, to stand up and recite the lines that had been marked out for him. Once his reading had finished, the casting director shook his hand with a smile.

“Expect a phone call soon,” she said, “We need to schedule callbacks.”

Armitage felt invigorated walking out of the studio, smiling a bit to himself as he looked at the paperwork in his hand. They had given him a better, more detailed script, to read over when he arrived at home. 

“Hey!” A familiar voice caught his attention, causing him to look at the man calling him. 

“Ah, Poe. Hello. I’m not surprised to see you here.”

“Yeah, I’m working on the set for this movie. You seem happy, Hugs.”

“Hux, and I am. They want to bring me in for a callback soon.”

“That’s great! I’m proud of you, man. Oh, I almost forgot,” He pulled out a sticky note, orange, with writing on it. “This is for you. Since we keep running into each other, I figured that you’d like my number. You know, if you wanted to run into me on purpose.”

Hux took the note and nodded, looking at the numbers. He placed it into his pocket after folding it up, smiling at Poe. “Thank you. I’ll try it tonight, once I’ve gotten home.”

Poe nodded, grinning. “Yeah, that works. I’ll see you later, Hugs. I gotta finish some stuff here.”

Hux nodded. “I’ll see you soon, Poe.”

Traveling home on the same route he took to the studio, he sighed a bit in relief and stared out the bus window. There wasn’t much of a view, but it was still interesting to watch people blur by. He thought of Poe, how bold he was. It was invigorating, in a way, to see someone like that. Armitage didn’t get much social contact, after all. 

That night, after his dinner and a long bath, in which he read his lines and got a feel for his character, he pulled out his phone. He was seated on his couch, mindlessly absorbing things on the screen in front of him. He didn’t have much else to do than sink into the comfort of the cool material, a break from the blistering heat of the day, and watch people make dishes he could only dream of on television. Holding the sticky note he had been given hours before, the one that had Poe’s number accompanied by a wink, he typed it in and sent a text message. The first text he’d sent in weeks.

“Hello, is this Poe?”

The wait began. It was oddly short, however, only a couple of minutes being the buffer between his text and Poe’s return.

“This is he. This Hugs?”

At the confirmation, Hux added the number to his contacts, under “Poe Dameron.” It certainly wasn’t a common name, but having a last name felt a bit more formal.

“Yes, this is Hux. How are you?”

“Damn, formal. I’m good, just finished working out. You?”

“I am well, I had dinner and bathed. I’m relaxing now.”

“Nice. I wanted to know if you wanted to meet up for drinks tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night? One moment, allow me to check.”

Hux viewed his schedule. He didn’t have anything scheduled. He got out of work early in the day, and they wouldn’t be busy at the studio so soon. He nodded.

“I’m available at eight. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m free. I’ll meet you at Maz’s tomorrow night. Talk to you soon, Hugs. ;)”

Hux was a bit confused, having forgotten that Maz’s cafe turned into a bar at night. Once he recalled that, he replied. “I will see you tomorrow night.”

He put his phone on the charger before traveling to his room, getting into something cool and comfortable, a pair of shorts and nothing else, before climbing into bed.

Once again, he was surprised by his ability to sleep.


End file.
